A grand stage has been set for the Punjab government’s mega event ‘Pani Bachao, Punjab Bachao’ (Save Water, Save Punjab) rally to be held at Killi Chahal village in the district on the occasion of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s birthday on Thursday. The rally, to be attended by CM Badal, deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, besides other Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders, is being seen as the last mega event of the state government before the coming assembly polls.

Illegal hoardings announcing the government rally on the national highway near Moga on Wednesday. (Parampreet Singh Narula/HT)

A grand stage has been set for the Punjab government’s mega event ‘Pani Bachao, Punjab Bachao’ (Save Water, Save Punjab) rally to be held at Killi Chahal village in the district on the occasion of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s birthday on Thursday. The rally, to be attended by CM Badal, deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, besides other Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders, is being seen as the last mega event of the state government before the coming assembly polls.

A number of illegal hoarding, hailing the SAD, have been put up from Jagraon to Moga – on the walls of government buildings, under the bridges, bus stands and the divider on the national highway-95. Notably, the Punjab and Haryana high court has imposed a complete ban on installation of hoardings along national highways as it diverts the attention of drivers, which may lead to accidents.

According to the Punjab Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1997, nobody can deface any public or private property by pasting posters, writing or painting on the walls or putting up banners without the prior permission from the owner of the property concerned. Ignoring all the rules, the state information and public relations department had instructed district public relations officers (DPROs) in Moga and adjoining districts to ensure installation of these billboards.

Meanwhile, the police have made elaborate security arrangements for the rally and SSP Sharma has of late been spending most of his time at the venue.

A 200-acre stretch of land has been taken in the village by the government to make this rally historic. While senior Akali leaders have been making rounds at the venue for reviewing arrangements, Badal landed in Moga on Wednesday evening and reached agriculture minister Tota Singh’s home.

The entire Moga administration, led by additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Ajay Sood, and the district police, led by senior superintendent of police (SSP) Snehdeep Sharma, has been engaged in looking after the arrangements for the rally, which SAD had smartly turned into a government event, linking it with the cause of saving Punjab’s waters.